News & Events

Environment Agency predicts big improvements in river water quality for the Don and Rother catchments in newly released draft River Basin Management Plan

Posted: 08/01/2009

The draft River Basin Management Plan (dRBMP), drawn up as part of the Water Framework Directive for river catchments across England and Wales, sets out measures that will be undertaken by the Environment Agency to improve the nation’s water bodies.The Environment Agency released the draft River Basin Management Plan (dRBMP) for the Humber basin district in December. The report, produced as part of the Water Framework Directive, presents plans to improve the regions waters, and is part of a consultation process where people are invited to give feedback on the strategy until 22 June 2009. The dRBMP proposes that by 2015 26% of surface water bodies (as a proportion of length) within the Don and Rother catchment will reach good or potentially good ecological status. This is an increase of 13% from the 13% currently meeting this standard. By 2027 the objective is for an even greater rise in ecological quality with the proportion meeting good status projected to have more than doubled to 64%.

As yet the majority (71%) of the water bodies within the Don and Rother catchments have still to have their ecological quality assessed for the dRBMP including the entire of the Don below Penistone. For the river corridors within Sheffield, the Rivelin and Loxley have been assessed and found to be currently at moderate status.